This week in the news:
- Adobe gave the world a peek at a new, full-featured version of Photoshop CC that was designed for touch input with a tablet computer.
- The FAA hinted that it's considering a faster permit-approval process for filmmakers who shoot aerial video with drones.
- RØDE announced a newly redesigned version of its popular Blimp windshield, which features a Rycote Lyre shockmount system.
A full-featured version of Photoshop CC for touch-controlled tablets is coming
This week Microsoft announced the new Surface Pro 3, the latest generation of tablet computers that runs the full version of the Windows 8 operating system. The new tablets are faster, lighter, and feature an improved hardware "kickstand" that can prop the slab up at various angles. The new tablets were essentially just an iterative update; however, during the launch event, Adobe was invited to the stage to demonstrate a top-secret version of its seminal photo-editing application: Photoshop CC.
There are presently apps available that bring some of Photoshop's tools to touch-based gadgets, such as the Adobe Photoshop Touch app for iPad, or Adobe Photoshop Express for iPhone and Android smartphones, but none of them offer all of the horsepower of the full version. At this week's Microsoft event, Adobe made it clear that this was all about to change, and even hinted that the full suite of Creative Cloud applications would soon be fully optimized for touch control.
The FAA considers a fast permit-approval process for drone-using filmmakers
Recent advances in technology have made unmanned, radio-controlled drone aircraft incredibly popular tools for capturing aerial footage in video productions. However, operating one of these devices in a professional capacity is technically illegal in the United States. The FAA is currently overhauling the rules that govern this type of flight, but the new legislation likely won't arrive for at least a year. In the interim, the FAA is considering creating a quick permit-approval process for a limited number of drone users, which will include filmmakers. You can read more about this snippet of drone news in this B&H Explora post.
The new and improved RØDE Blimp Windshield for shotgun microphones
If you use shotgun microphones to capture sound in video productions, it doesn't take long to realize that they're really susceptible to picking up wind noise outdoors. There are several different kinds of windscreens that you can use on shotguns. However, the very best wind protection available for them are blimp systems. For the past few years, one of the most popular products in this category has been the RØDE Blimp, and this week the Australian manufacturer announced a newly redesigned version that's lighter and outfitted with a Rycote "Lyre" shockmount system. The full details on the new RØDE Blimp are available in this B&H Explora post.
More news:
- New firmware was released this week for the Leica T Mirrorless Digital Camera. More information and download links are available in this B&H Explora post.
- Apple issued a version 5.05 update to its Digital Camera RAW, which makes the Nikon D4s, the Sony RX10, and the Canon Rebel T5, 1200D, and Kiss X70 compatible with Aperture 3 and iPhoto ’11. You can download the update here.
- GoPro officially filed for its IPO this week, and will eventually be listed on the Nasdaq as "GPRO." More information is available at CNET.
- Apparently not content with just sharing images on Google+, the California-based search engine giant officially joined Instagram this week. Read the full story over at PetaPixel.
... and that's your B&H gear nerd news for the week of May 19th, 2014.
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